Braking system



A ril 10,1945. w.-'F QLDT 2,373,450 j I BRAKING SYSTEM. I'

Filed June 27, .1942 4Sheets-Sheet 1- INVENTOR W. Fl BOLDT I ATTORNEY W. F.,BOLDT "2,373,450 BRAKING SYSTEM 'lNvENTo F. BOLDT ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 10, 1945 airs 2,373,450 ac SYSTEM Werner F. Boldt, Clayton, Mo., assignorto Wagner Electric Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Application June 27, 1942, Serial l2 Claims.- (cl. ass-14c) My invention relates to a fluid pressure actuating system and more particularly to one for use in actuating a plurality of brakes.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved fluid pressure actuating system for a plurality of brakes whereby all the brakes can be actuated by the operation of one control valve means and certain selected brakes can be actuated by the operation of another control valve means only.

Another object of my invention isto provide in a fluid pressure brake actuating means for a plurality of brakes, afoot-controlled valve for causing all the brakes to be actuated and handcontrolled valve means for selectively causing only certain brakes to be actuated.

Another'object of my invention is to produce an improved valve means which can be incorporated in a fluid pressure brake actuating system in order to permitonly certain selected brakes to be actuated.

Yet another object of my invention is to produce an improved valve means for incorporation in a fluid pressure brake actuating system which is so'constructed and operated by diflerent control levers that a-single control valve can be actuated by all the levers and also the desired shutoff valves so that only selected brakes will be applied.

Still another and more general object of. my invention is to provide an improved fluid pressure actuating system for a tractor vehicle and a trailer vehicle which will, by operation of one control means, cause the application of the brakes on both vehicles or by selective operation of another control means cause either the right or left side brakes of the tractor to be applied as desired or only the trailer brakes to be applied.

Other objects of my invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a schematic view of a braking system embodying my invention; Figure 2 is a partial sectional view of my novel control valve means embodied in the system whereby certain brakes can be selectively applied, said view being taken as seen by the operator; Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of said valve taken on the line 33 of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a bottom view of said control valve; and Figures 5, 6, and 7. are sectional views of the control valve taken on the lines 5-5, 68, and 1-1, respectively, of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail and first to the schematic view of Figure 1, numeral l infor the wheels on the left side, and the trailer is provided with brakes 5 for the wheels thereof. The brakes 3 are actuated by fluid motors 6, the brakes t by fluid motors l, and the brakes 5 by fluid motors 8.

On the tractor vehicle there is provided a compressor .9 which is driven from any suitable source, as, for example, the engine for driving the tractor. This compressor has its outlet connected by means of 'a conduit it to a main storage tank ll also mounted on the tractor. Connected to the storage tank is a conduit i2 which leads to a foot-operated control valve it of well-known construction, said valve being positioned in a convenient place in the operators compartment of the tractor. A conduit It connects the foot valve to a hand-controlled valve means generally indicated by numeral I5 and from which conduits l8, I1, and i8 extend. conduit It being connected to fluid motors 8 of the right wheel brakes 3 and conduit l8 being connected to the fluid motors I of the left wheel brakes 4. The other conduit ll extends to the tractor vehicle for applying the brakes 5 thereof, the trailer brake applying means comprising an auxiliary storage tank IS, a combined emergency and relay valve assembly l9 and conduits 20 leading to the fluid motors 8. The trailer braking system is also connected directly to applied. The control valve means I! also em-- the storage tank II on the tractor by means of a conduit 2|, said conduit being employed to supply fluid to the auxiliary reservoir through the valve assembly I9 in a well-known manner. On the tractor vehicle there is also provided a conduit 22 which connects the hand-controlled valve means 15 with thestorage tank II in-' dependently of conduits l2 and H and the footcontrolled valve I3.

The construction ofthe hand-controlled valve "dicates a tractor vehicle and 2 a trailer vehicle.

means I6 is such such that either the right or the left hand wheel brakes of the tractor may be selectively applied or only the trailer brakes bodies'means whereby when the foot valve I3 is operated, conduits l6, l1 and IE will all be placed in communicationwith conduit ll leading from the foot valve, thus permitting all the brakes on both the tractor and trailer to be operated when the foot valve is operated. Since the novel features of my invention all flow from the particular hand-controlled valve means i5 2 i and the manner in which it is associated with v the braking system, details thereof will now be 21 with the upper end of a bore 28 and controlling the passage is an inlet valve 29 positioned in chamber 28. The inlet valve has a stem Iii extending into bore 28 and carried by the end of this stem is an exhaust valve element 2 i A weak spring 22 cooperates with the valve stem to bias the inlet valve 28 to a seated position.

Also positioned within bore 28 is a piston 33 having a'skirt 24 for receiving and guiding the exhaust valve element ii. The piston is provided with a passage ll which iscontrolled by the exhaust valve element which, when unseated, placesthe upper end oi bore 28 in communication I with the atmosphere through an exhaust port 16 and a short conduit 31.

Mounted in bore 28 below piston 22 is a plum-- er 38 which in its normally inoperative position abuts against the central casing section 24. Between this plunger and the piston is a relatively strong metering spring'l! which is in a noncompremed condition when plunger 38 is in its lowermost position. A spring 40 acts upon pisten 83 and biase it into engagement with the end of spring ll. This spring is employed to insure that the piston will assume its inoperative position when plunger II is in its normally inoperative position where the exhaust passage II is open. The bore 2| above the pistonis pro vided with an outlet port II which connects with a passage l2 extending downwardly through the upper casing section 22 and the central section 24 where it communicates with the upper end or a bore 43 in the lower section member 2|.

It is seen that by means oi the valve structure mounted in the upper section 22, when all the parts are .in their inoperative positions as shown in'l 'lgure 3, the inlet valve element 28 will be seated to cut oil! communication between the storage tank ii and the upper end of bore and said bore will be in communication with the atmosphere because of the unseated condition of the exhaust valve element ll. It is also apparent that when the plunger ll is moved upwardly, piston 22 will be moved by means oi spring 89, thus seating the exhaust valve element and then subsequently unseating the inlet valve element 28 to place the upper endoi bore 28 and passage 42 in communication with the storage tank. When the fluid under pressure enter-- ing the upper end of bore 28 and the passage 42 reaches such a value that it can force piston 33 downwardly by compressing. the spring 29. the inlet valve 29 will be closed and the exhaust valve element a will remain closed. Thus a, is seen that there is provided a. well-known metering type of valve wherein the source of pressure will be automatically cut oil when it reaches a predetermined value as determined by the amount of movement oi the actuating plunger 38 and the compression of spring 88.

The plunger 28 is adapted to be actuated by any one of the three levers ll, 45, and 48 which extend upwardly along side the upper section 23 of the casing. These levers are or general vL- shape and the ends oi their lower arms 41, I8

and 49 are pivotally connected to plunger 38 by a pin ill. The lower ends of these levers are also provided with fulcrum knobs BI, 52, and 83 whereby the levers can freely fulcrum upon a a plate 54 to be presently described. Thus by moving any of the levers in the direction indicated by'the arrow in Figure 3 the metering valve actuated by plunger 38 can be controlled.

The lower end of the previously mentioned bore 43 in the lower section has connected thereto conduit i4 leading from the foot valve i8 and slidably mounted in the bore is a piston valve 55 for cooperation with a valve seat 58 at the bottom of the bore and a valve seat at the top 01 the bore. When this piston valve engages the valve seat 58, communication is prevented from the bore to conduit l4 and when it engages valve seat 51, communication is prevented from the bore to passage 42.

Also provided in the lower casing section 26 are three vertically positioned bores 58, B8 and 60 25 which are connected by a horizontal conduit 8i and 'a branch conduit 82 with the central part of bore 43. Thi bore is 01. such length as compared with the piston valve Bl that when said piston valve is in its lower position, passage 42 will communicate with the three vertical bores and when it is in its upper position, conduit I will communicate with the three vertical bores.

The upper ends of the vertical bores 58, 59 and 80 communicate with chambers 63, B! and 86, respectively. The chamber 83 has a downwardly extending outlet port 66 towhich the previously mentioned conduit i1 is connected,

said conduit leading to the trailer brakes. The

chamber 84 has a downwardly extending outlet 0 port 81 to which is connected conduit I! leading to fluid motors 1 of the left wheel brakes on the tractor. Chamber 8! also has a downwardly extending outlet port ll to which is connected conduit l8 leading to theright wheel brakes or the tractor. The upper ends oi the vertical bores 58, 58 and BI have associated therewith valve seats 89, 10 and 1l for cooperation with suitable shut-ofl valves to thereby close the bores under certain conditions.

In the central casing section 24 there are three bores 12, 1s and 14 which are axially aligned with bores 58, I9 and 80. respectively. The bore 12 has reciprocably mounted therein a piston valve 15 and there is also mounted in'bores 12 and 14 like piston valves 16 and 11. The lower ends of these pistons 18, 16 and 11 are adapted to cooperate withthe valve seats 68, 10' and 1| to thus shut oil the bores I8, 88 and 80. The -piston valves 15, 1B and 11 are provided with 60 stems 18, 1.9 and at which extend through openings in the upper ends of bores 12, 13 and 14, respectively, and engage the under side of plate 64- (previously referred to) mounted in the upper section 23. The piston valves 1!, 1i and 11 have 65 their upper races cooperating with valve seats surrounding the holes through which the stems extend so that these pistons, when in their upper positions, will seal said holes. The bores within which the piston valves are positioned have their axes so positioned that the stems are at the apexes of an equilateral triangle.

The plate 54 is normally held upwardly at its center by a spring 8| against shoulders 82. This spring is of such strength as to also support 76 levers it, 45 and 46 which, as previously noted,

54. These fulcrum knobs "and 53 .are also so arranged that they are at the apexes of an engage the plate are so related to thepoints at which the stems I8, 18 and 30 engage the'bottom surface of the plate that a fulcrur'n knob will be between each two stems and outside the straight line drawn between the two stems. Thus it is i seen that if a lever such as lever 43 is moved in th direction of the arrow in Figure 3, the fulcrum knob 53 thereon will so bear on the top of plate 54 that the two piston valves 13 and 1.3 will be pushed downwardly in order to close bores 58 and 59 but the piston'valve I4 will not have pressure applied thereto. Also, if lever 44 is moved in the direction of the arrow, the fulcrum knob 5|, when acting on plate 54, will cause piston valves 15 and I1 to be moved downwardly but piston valve 16 will not have pressure applied there equilateral triangle but the points at which they to.- When lever 45 is moved, fulcrum knob 52 willso move the plate that the piston valves 16 and f II will be moved downwardly but the piston valve I3 will not have pressure applied thereto. It is also apparent that each lever, when moved, will cause the closing of two of the three vertical bores and consequently will prevent passage of fluid through said bores to their connected conduits.

Referring to the operation, the parts of the hand-controlled valve means l5 will be as shown in Figures 2 to '1 when said valve means is inoperative. Under these conditions it is to be noted that the inlet valve 29 is closed and the conduits leading to all the brakes are in communication with bore 43. If it should be desired to apply the trailer brakes only, all that need be done is to move the central lever 45. As the lever is moved in the direction of the arrow, the fulcrum knob 52 thereof will press downwardly :on the plate 54 and thus cause piston valves 16 and II to be pushed downwardly to close ofl bores 59 and 60. This will cut off communication with upper end ofbore 33 and from there to the control valve on the trailer, thereby causing operation of the trailer brakes. If piston valve 55 in bore 43 should be in its upper-position, it will be forced to the position shown in Figur 2 by the fluid under pressure entering bore 43. The inlet' valve 26 will be automatically closed when the pressure admitted reaches such a value that If it is desired to apply only the left hand brakes of the tractor, the left hand lever 44 is .moved in the direction of thearrow in Figure 3.

Thiswill so move plate 54 that conduits I6 and I! will be cut oil from communication with the upper end of bore 43 leaving only conduit iii in communication with said bore. Continued move ment of the leverwill close the exhaust passage 35 and open the inlet valve 29 to admit fluid under pressure to fluid motors I to apply the brakes on the left wheels of the tractor. brakes will be released when lever 44 is released.

It is thusseen that by means of the control valve means l5 the operator can apply either the right or the left wheel brakes only of the tractor or the trailer brakes only depending upon which he desires. By being able to apply either the right or the left hand brakes only on the tractor, he can thus use these brakes to ald in steerin the tractor vehicle. Also, at times when he desires only the .trailer brakes to be applied, this can be done by the operation of the central lever 45 of the control valve means it. 7

When it is desired to apply all the brakes on both thetractor and trailer, the foot valve i3 is operated. When fluid pressure is admitted through conduit M to the lower end of bore 43,

piston valve will be moved. upwardly, thereby preventing fluid from entering passage 42 and at the same time connecting all the conduits l6, il,'and l8 with the lower' ends of bore 43 and conduit l4. Thus fluid .under pressure will be admitted to the fluid motors 4 and 6 of the tractor brakes and the combined emergency and relay valve means IS on the trailer will be so operated that the trailer brakes will be applied. If piston valves l5, l6, and 1'! should be in their lower seated positions because of the action of gravity, they will be unseated by the incoming fluid and be maintained in this position as long as fluid pressure is being admitted by the foot control valve.. Release of the foot control valve will release all the brakes by exhausting fluid through the usual exhaust port of said foot control valve.

Being aware of the possibility of modifications in the particular structure herein described without departing from the fundamental principles of my-invention, I do not intend that its scope be under press piston 33 of the metering valve moves downwardly. Release of lever 45 will result in the trailer brakes being released by th exhausting of fluid to the atmosphere by way of passage 35 in the piston, port 33, and conduit 31.

If it should be desired to apply the right hand brakes of the tractor only, then the right hand lever'4li of the control valve.means i5 is moved.

- under pressure to fluid motors 3 for actuating'the brakes of the right wheels of the tractor. The brakes will be released when the lever is released.

limited except as set forth by the appended claims, Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

- 1. In a fluid pressure actuating system, valve means for selectively controlling the flow of fluid e from the source of pressure to two devices to be actuated, said valve means comprising a main control valve means having inlet andexhaust valve elements for controlling fluid pressure from the source and exhausting it from the devices,-a shut-oil valve for preventing flow of fluid to each device, two levers each of which is connected to operate the main control valve, and means for manually closing one shut-off valve by one lever when the inlet and exhaust valve elements of the main valve means is operated thereby and for manually closing the other shut-off valve by the other lever. when the inlet and ex-.

haust valve elements of the. main valve means is operated thereby.

2. In a fluid pressure actuating system, valve means for selectively controlling the flow of fluid under pressure from the source of pressure-to two devices to be actuated, said valve means comprising a main control valve for controlling fluid pressure from the source, a shut-off valve for prevent- The ing flow oi fluid toeach device, two operating levers, means for connecting both levers to the main control valve, and means for connecting each lever to close a shut-oil. valve, the connection between each lever, the main control valve and a shut-oil valve being such that the lever will flrst close the shut-oi! valve and then fulcrum on the connecting means to the shut-oil! valve to thereby permit subsequent operation of the main control valve. 4

3. In a fluid pressure actuating system, valve under pressure from a source or pressure to three devices to be actuated, said valve means comprising a single main control valve for controlling fluid pressure from the source, a shut-oil valve for preventing flow oi fluid to each device, three members each of which is connected to operate the main control valve, means tor manually causing the closing of two shut-o8 valves whenever a member is operated to control the main valve, the two shut-oil valves closed being oliilerent for each member operated. r

4. In a fluid pressure actuating system, valve means for selectively controlling the flow or fluid under pressure from a source of pressure to three devices to be actuated, said valve means comprisr ing a single main control valve means having inlet and exhaust valve elements for controlling fluid pressure from the source and exhausting it from the devices, a shut-oil valve i'or preventing flow oi. fluid to each device, three levers each or which is connected to operate the inlet and exing a maincontrol valve for controlling fluid presdine rent from those closed the other levers.

'7. In valve structure or the class described,

- effort two shut-oil valves by each. lever when ,means for selectively controlling the flow'oi fluid it is actuated to control the single valve means,

valve by a member when it is actuated to control said three outlets in communication with a source or fluid pressure independently. or the conduit and the single valve means.

8. In valve structure of the class described. single valve means for controlling the flow 0! fluid under pressure from a source, a conduit leading from the outlet of the valve means, two outlets communicating with the conduit, a shutotl valve for each outlet, two members connected to the single valve means each of which is capable or controlling it, means for closing a shut-oi!- the single valve means, and means for automatisure from the source. a shut-oi! valve for preventing flow of fluid to each device, said shut-of! valves being provided with actuating parts positioned to form a triangle, a plate cooperating with the parts,

and-three memberseach of which is connected to operate the main control valve, said members being so associated with the plate that when each is operated the plate will be so tilted that two of the shut-ofi' valves will be closed, the two shut-oil valves closed by the operation of any one member being diilerent than those closed by the operation of the other members.

6. In a fluid pressure actuating system, valve means for selectively controlling the flow or fluid under pressure from a source of pressure to three devices to be actuated, said valve means comprising a main control valve for controlling fluid pressure from the source, a shut-ofl valve for preventing flow of fluid to each device, said shut-ofl valves being provided with actuating parts positioned in the form 01' a triangle, a plate resting on said parts, and three levers each oi which has a part connected to operate the main control valve and a part engaging the'top surface of the plate each plate-engaging part being positioned between two valve actuating parts and outside a line drawn therebetween so that when the lever is operated the plate will be so tilted that two 01 the shut-oil valves will be closed and the lever will fulcrum on the plate to subsequently operate the main control valve. thetwo shut-ofl valves closed by the operation of any one lever being,

cally placing said two outlets in communication with a .source of pressure independently oi the conduit and the single valve means, said last named means comprising a second conduit and a single two-way valve means having an automatically-operated member for closing the first conduit and placing the second conduit in communication with the two outlets when fluid is present in said second conduit.

9. In valve structure of the class described, single valve means for controlling the flow oi fluid under pressure from a source, a conduit leading from the outlet of the valve means, We outlets communicating with the conduit, a shutoil valve for each outlet, manually-operated means for closing by manual eflort one shut-oft valve and for subsequently controlling the single valve means and other independent manuallyoperated means for closing by manual efiort the other shut-oil valve and for subsequently controlling said single valve means, and means for automatically placing said two outlets in communication with a source of pressure independently oi. the conduit and the single valve means and comprising a single pressure-operated valve element for shutting off the conduit.

. 10. In valve structure of the class described, a single metering valve means for controlling the flow oi fluid under pressure from a source, a conduit leading from .the outlet of the valve means, I

set of two shut-oil valves by the operation of each manually operablemember, each set of two shutoif valves being different from the other sets, and

. means for controlling the single metering valve by each manually operable member after it closes a set of two shut-oi! valves.

11. In valve structureoi the class described, a single valve means for controlling the flow of fluid under pressure from a source, a conduit leading from the outlet oi the valve means, three outlets communicating with the conduit, 9. normally open shut-oil valve for each outlet, and a plurality of manually-operated means equal in number to said outlets individually selectively opby the Operation or pressure enable and engageable with means contactable with all of said valves constructed and arranged so that operation of each of said manually-operated means closes two of said valves and admits pressure fluid to the third outlet.

12. In valve structure of the class described, a single valve means for. controlling the how of fluid under pressure from a source, a conduit lead- 1 ing from the outlet of the valve means, three outlets communicating with the conduit, a normally open shut-01f valve for each outlet, three 10 means.

manually operable means, each of said manually operable means engageable with an intermediate member, so constructed and arranged that operation of each of said manually operable means 5 causes said intermediate member to engage a WERNER F. BOLDT. 

